


Call and Answer

by misskatieleigh



Category: Rogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
Genre: 4th chapter only, Blood and Gore, M/M, Omg this is ridiculous, i dont even know anymore, siren au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-23
Updated: 2017-08-20
Packaged: 2018-11-03 23:43:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,289
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10977855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/misskatieleigh/pseuds/misskatieleigh
Summary: The night was silent; no shrieking birds heralding land nearby, no howling wind pushing him in one direction or the other. If there had been, maybe he wouldn’t have heard the song.The Bodhi as a siren au nobody asked for.





	1. Chapter 1

Cassian squinted into the setting sun, every muscle in his arms and back screaming in murderous rage. He could still see the ship (his ship) on the horizon, black oily smoke billowing up into the evening dusk. Securing the oars, he leaned over the side of the dinghy and dipped his hands into the frigid ocean water. Blisters had formed and broken over the course of the day and the salt stung his wounds, but they were soon numb from the cold.

Cassian swiped his arm across his forehead, a streak of soot marking his already ruined sleeve. Above him, stars began to appear in the sky. Cassian let his thoughts drift back, his father pointing out the constellations and how he could find his way home by the stars. Sadly, these stars seemed to point nowhere. He’d sailed too far away somehow, caught up in a mad search for revenge, or maybe redemption.

Cassian shifted off his seat, settling his aching body into the wooden cradle of the boat’s hull. The night was silent; no shrieking birds heralding land nearby, no howling wind pushing him in one direction or the other. If there had been, maybe he wouldn’t have heard the song.

At first Cassian thought he’d fallen asleep, some half forgotten melody drifting into his dreams. He dug his fingertips into his palms, hissing as blood welled up anew. Definitely awake then. Cassian sat up, gripping the sides of the boat as it rocked with his sudden movement.

For a moment the sound stopped, the sudden pause making the silence oppressive in his ears. Then, just as suddenly, the song returned, growing louder as his heart began to race. Cassian twisted his head back and forth, searching for a glimpse of something out in the night. He felt compelled - no, driven - to find the source of this sound.

He could feel his bones singing, the pain in his hands and back falling away. Then he saw something. It was just a silhouette, a barely discernible shape in the darkness. Cassian dipped the oars back into the water and began to row.

The splash of water seemed to startle the singer, their head turning toward Cassian’s slow advance. Moonlight cast across their face, revealing sharp cheekbones and a long straight nose. Cassian felt an ache begin to form in his chest at the loss of the song. He whimpered, a sharp pained noise cutting through the air.

“Please, continue your song!”, he cried out, the oars moving faster through the water as he pushed closer.

The figure dipped under the surface of the water, barely a ripple forming in their wake. Cassian gasped, pitching his body forward desperately. The boat rocked, tipping dangerously to one side. Cassian grabbed at the side of the boat, ready to pull himself over into the water. He steeled himself for the icy rush, dragging in a deep breath. Then, a hand appeared out of the depths, cold fingers wrapping around his wrist. The face appeared next and Cassian found himself drowning in the deep brown eyes of a man.

“What are you doing? You need to get out of the water before you freeze!”

Cassian reached out to grasp the man’s arm, ready to haul him over into the boat. The man laughed, moonlight glinting over a sharp smile.

“I have nothing to fear from the sea, you poor man. Of the two of us, surely you should be more afraid. Or are you so lost that you would seek out oblivion with me this night?”

Cassian gasped. He could feel the words twisting under his skin, a fine spray of hooks catching his flesh. He knew what this was, with a startling realization.

“You’re a siren.”

The man - the siren, he was sure of it now - leaned closer, sweet breath ghosting across Cassian’s mouth.

“I am that. And yours, apparently, as my song was not even meant to draw you in. Should I take that as a sign? Or is it mere coincidence that we find ourselves drawn together?”

Cassian swallowed heavily, his eyes darting about as if to memorize every feature that the moonlight kissed with its cold light. Long, dark hair drifted out around him, and Cassian imagined wrapping it around his wrists - a trap of his own making. Full lips tipped up at the corners, surprisingly pink even in the cold sea. Cassian imagined how warm they would be against his skin - would he burn at their touch? Wide eyes gazed at him, luring him in with false innocence and trust. Could a creature such as this be innocent?

He spoke, words whispered into the darkness. “My mother used to sing that song.“

The man tilted his head to the side, a furrow forming between his brows. Cassian reached up to smooth it without thinking, the tips of his fingers dragging over smooth damp skin.

“Then you are a fortunate man, for only a siren knows this song."

Cassian frowned. "What are you saying? Surely my mother wasn't..."

The man reached out, cupping Cassian's face with one hand. "Are only humans allowed to fall in love? A siren can be caught just as easily, when they hear the right song."

The man tipped Cassian's face up toward the moonlight, then leaned in to brush a searing kiss against his jaw. Cassian gasped, some strange mix of pleasure and pain seeming to short circuit his brain. He barely registered that he was falling before his head struck against the bottom of the boat, then only darkness filled his vision.

When Cassian opened his eyes again, the first thing he saw was a bird. It was a seagull, and it tilted its head at him curiously before letting out a loud squawk and flying away. Cassian sat up in the boat, squinting into the dazzling sunshine. He was on a beach. To his right, a dock stretched out into the water, a flurry of workers rushing back and forth between the ships and the shore. Cassian rubbed his eyes, hissing as he curled his injured hand into a fist.

“Are you hurt, sir? Here, let me help."

The voice came from his left and Cassian turned toward it, some memory trying to crawl out of his hazy mind. A man was standing there, long black hair twisting in a sudden gust of wind. He smiled. His mouth seemed to be made for it, turned up at the corners naturally. Cassian frowned, as his own face tended to do.

“Have we met before? Your face is familiar to me."

The man winked. "Perhaps we met in another life. Come, let's get your injuries tended. We can trade stories later perhaps."

Cassian nodded, groaning as the man helped him to his feet. "I thank you for your kindness. My name is Cassian. What should I call you, so I may thank you properly?"

“Please, it is my pleasure to offer my assistance. I feel that we are connected somehow, to be on this beach together this morning. You may call me Bodhi, or Bo if that is too much trouble for you."

Cassian smiled. "Bodhi. That is a name I have not heard before. I would not twist something so lovely to accommodate my clumsy tongue."

Bodhi glanced away, his cheeks flushing pink. The two men made their way off the beach, Bodhi holding out his hands to steady Cassian as he stumbled over uneven sand. As they walked, he hummed a song under his breath. Cassian looked up in surprise, overcome by memories suddenly becoming clear. He reached out to twist a lock of Bodhi's hair around his fingers.

“So, siren, which one of us has been caught?"

Bodhi cupped Cassian's face in his hand, his fingers brushing over a mark hidden on the edge of his jaw. "I think perhaps we have caught each other."


	2. Chapter 2

It shouldn’t be so easy, to start up a life from nothing on the edge of the sea. Cassian’s used to doors slamming in his face, a sidelong glance at his long hair and the dirt under his nails that no amount of scrubbing can wash away. Bodhi though, Bodhi has charm for days. Being around him is like the sun breaking through the clouds, like sailing over smooth waters with the wind filling the sails. He smiles and the pieces fall into place; a home, simple but clean; a job, a blessing that Cassian’s mother had insisted on him learning to read and write; a life, warm skin and elegant fingers keeping him anchored in place.

  
A person could almost breathe easy here. But Cassian remembers how quickly a life can go up in flames. He keeps his sword sharp, watches for the rocks hiding under calm water.

* * *

 

They have too many cats. It’s like they're attracted to Bodhi for some reason, follow him down the street like he’s the pied piper. He doesn’t even have to sing. Actually, him singing might attract more than cats. Cassian thinks it's adorable. Truth be told, he has to stop himself from following Bodhi around like a lost puppy some days.

 

Bodhi doesn't notice until he does, and then he can't seem to stop.

 

“Why are there so many cats, Cassian? Have you been collecting mice from the ships at port?”

 

Cassian just shrugs and hides his smile. “They aren't following me around town, my love.”

 

That only manages to cause a fit of indignation, Bodhi convinced that he smells like fish or something and that’s why they’re winding around his ankles at every turn. Cassian spends the evening convincing him otherwise, stripping him out of his expertly pressed shirt and pants and describing what each part of Bodhi smells like (musk and salt and ink creased into the crook of his thumb, the sweet oil he smooths into his hair to keep it from getting tangled). When he’s done they both smell the same, tangled up in the sheets together, but Bodhi’s sated smile is worth the effort.

 

He convinces Bodhi to sing for him once in awhile, lets the sound wrap around his heart and drag up memories of his mother. It’s not quite the siren’s call, but Bodhi doesn’t need to use that to keep him anyway. 

* * *

  
Once in a while, Bodhi goes missing. Cassian pretends that he doesn’t notice the pattern, that he doesn’t watch the moon wax and wane and count the days until the bed beside him lies empty. That he doesn’t live with his breath held in his chest until the night Bodhi returns, damp hair leaving a salty rime on their sheets in the morning.

 

They should talk, perhaps, about what Bodhi is beneath dark eyes and smooth skin. But they are both stubborn men, and too happy believing that unquestioned things are settled.

  
Cassian tries to stop Bodhi from leaving only once. A storm comes out of nowhere, lashing the shore like a giant having a temper tantrum. Bodhi’s restless, at first, his eyes glancing toward the sea whenever he thinks Cassian isn’t watching. (Cassian is always watching.) His eyes darken, shifting from warm honeyed brown to almost black, warm brown skin turning sallow and cold.

  
After three days, Cassian starts to feel like prey. He wakes to sharp teeth at his jugular and his hair standing on end. Bodhi jerks away from him.

  
“Cassian, please. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  
Cassian sits up, takes Bodhi’s shaking hands in his and kisses his knuckles, swallowing heavily.

  
“Go. I’m sorry I tried to keep you.”

 

He sighs, eyelids slipping closed to hide the darkness from Cassian’s gaze.

 

“My heart is here with you, no matter where I am.”

  
Bodhi hesitates in the doorway, the moonlight casting him in sharp relief against the white walls. He glances back at Cassian, grips the doorframe, and leaves.

  
The storm dies as quickly as it came on, like it finally got what it was waiting for. 

* * *

  
Eventually, Cassian's past catches up to them. The men sweep in with a storm, letting the driving rain hide whatever prying eyes might normally be looking out for danger. Cassian's suddenly thankful that Bodhi is gone right now, as he wakes to a knife at his throat and a familiar smile. One of Bodhi's cats mewls at him plaintively.

  
‘Lot of good you are,’ he thinks. ‘Why couldn't he attract dogs, I might have gotten some warning then.’

  
Cassian takes a breath, gritting his teeth. “What do you want from me, Krennic? You already sank my boat. I haven't got anything else of value.”

  
Krennic’s smile is terrifying, his face cut into light and shadow by the moon. “You forget that I have eyes everywhere, Captain. Your sweet companion draws far too much attention.”

  
Cassian growls, pressing forward against the hands holding him down until he feels the knife cut into his skin, a thin trickle of blood sliding across his neck to stain the sheets. “If you bothered to look, you'd see I’m alone here. Guess you came all this way for nothing.”

  
Krennic chuckles. “If my chatter birds are right, he'll come looking for you. If not, I know of at least one bounty worth turning you over for.”

  
He turns toward the door, calling back over his shoulder. “Bring him to the ship!” 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the short update

He shouldn't be back yet. The moon is still full and heavy in the sky, an itch at the back of his skull. The sea is rough, riptide pulling him away from shore. Something has drawn him back though, a sharp pang in his chest. Something wrong.

Bodhi climbs the rocks, hands tucked into familiar holds, his clothes secreted away from the rain and curious fingers. The course cloth is unwelcome. He wants the soft embrace of oft washed sheets and the warmth of Cassian’s skin to chase the chill from his bones. He follows the moon’s guiding path off the beach. There are no candles left lit in windows at the dead hour of night.

* * *

Cassian's blood is the first thing Bodhi smells when he opens the door. He inhales, the copper scent filling his mouth with saliva, the hinge of his jaw twinging. It stops him in his tracks, the only sound in their empty house his own breathing and the steady drip of water falling from his hair.

Even the cats have disappeared, the fickle creatures.

Bodhi steps forward, closing the door behind him slowly. He's cold still from the ocean, sharpened teeth clenched in fear and panic. The sheets from their bed are strewn across the floor, muddy boot prints staining the white fabric along with the dried rust of Cassian's blood. It's barely enough to see, but Bodhi can practically taste it, iron sharp and the sense memory of Cassian's heart beat under his tongue.

He grits his teeth, eyes flashing in the moonlight falling calmly through the window. Bodhi turns back toward the door and his heart stops. A dagger has been buried in the wall beside the door, a scrap of paper pinned there by the blade. A single line stands out in hastily scrawled script.

_‘Come find him. - Krennic’_

Bodhi drops the dagger to the floor with a clatter. He doesn't need man made weapons. 

* * *

Cassian leans his shoulder against the side of the ship, rocking back and forth with the waves. He had forgotten, for a moment, what it felt like; the ebb and surge below his feet, the salt spray drying to a crackle on his skin. There's no water in his face here though, save a bucket of sour smelling _something_ tucked into one corner of his cage. A subtle reminder: you're alive at my whim.

Cassian rolls his shoulders, his back aching to stand and stretch, but his hands and ankles are bound together. He'll be hindered by that, if he finds a means to escape, muscles frozen or worn out from struggling. He should have pressed harder into the knife, to escape this drawn out death.

If not for Bodhi he might have.

His heart clenches. _‘Please stay away, my love.’_

Some small part of him still sings, _‘Come find me.’_

Outside the ship, the ocean breaks against the hull. The song is quiet, dulled through wood and wave. Bodhi walks out into the water from an island hundreds of miles away, skin thickening to protect against the cold. His teeth are sharp, his eyes wide and otherworldly. Humanity is right to fear his kind.

Orson Krennic will regret drawing Cassian's blood. 

* * *

The sun rises and sets, the sails snapped taut with wind. The man at the helm leans against the wheel, curling the fingers of one hand around a spoke. His other hand is only that in name, black metal extending from elbow to wrist, elegant but useless fingers resting against his thigh. He can hear the Captain, tucked away into his cabin, muttering to himself.

He sighs and shifts, looks out at the horizon. He watches the stars slip through the mantle of the heavens, the overpowering brightness of the sun fading from the sky. He listens to the crew, the disgruntled nonsense of men too long in tight quarters and the unsettled murmurs of the creature they’re trying to trap.

When his shift ends, he slips below deck, his circuit of the ship taking him past the line of cells. His mind tallies subconsciously; men and women, broken and still fighting. He pauses, imperceptibly, at one barred door. The man inside looks asleep, head tipped back and profile limned in moonlight. Still alive then.

He continues his circuit. _‘Not much longer, Captain.’_


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning for slight gore, violence, blood mention. Stop before the Epilogue if you want to skip the explicit part. 
> 
> Special thanks to [Bright_Elen](http://archiveofourown.org/users/Bright_Elen/pseuds/Bright_Elen) for the beta and support.

Breakfast in the morning is a bit of stale bread, accompanied by the familiar clang of metal against the bars of Cassian’s cell. He looks up just in time to see a man with sandy hair and blue eyes darting away.

Not as alone as he thought, then.

Cassian breaks the bread in half with careful fingers, expecting something, anything, to aid his escape. Finding nothing he huffs, dropping the crumbs to the floor for the rats. Perhaps he was wrong. Perhaps loyalty is as fickle as his cats.

The man makes a second circuit of the cells, footsteps slowing as he approaches Cassian's. Cassian takes a chance, sliding forward until he’s pressed up against the bars. He looks up into cold blue eyes, his eyebrows drawn together. The man looks back, surreptitiously slipping a dagger through the bars with a nod.

“Kay.”

“Captain.”

It’s enough. It will have to be, since it’s all he’s got. 

* * *

His next visitor, however, is not as welcome.

Krennic’s clothes are immaculate, pristine white breeches and shirt. It’s absurd, honestly, to maintain that at sea, but his vanity is nothing new. Cassian sneers.

“Come to murder me yet?”

The laugh matches the man, overloud and self-involved.

“You’re worth more alive, I’m afraid. Or you will be if your little pet fails to appear. Perhaps I overestimated his devotion to you after all. Wouldn’t that be delightful, to see you break once for his betrayal and once again when they tighten the noose ‘round your neck.”

Cassian grits his teeth. As desperately as he wants Bodhi to come and rescue him, the thought that he hasn’t because of some lack of devotion is laughable. He’s watched Bodhi leave him and return again and again. He’s the one thing in this world that Cassian doesn’t doubt.

“Your concept of love is as twisted as your soul, Krennic. I’ll go to the gallows happy if it means he’s safe.”

It sets oddly with Krennic, he can tell, this defiance. He’s used to men cowing to him, bent under a haughty stare and well-paid muscle. His face sours, the silence between them drawing out.

“There’s still a few days before we reach port. I may get him yet. Then you can watch the...full extent of my depravity.”

It’s bait, but he can’t help but want to rise to it, thoughts drawn to the dagger hidden at his back. He bites his tongue. He can’t afford to lose his one advantage.

Krennic smiles, sickly sweet, Cassian’s reaction apparently enough to satisfy him.

“I hope you haven’t lost your sea legs yet. There’s a storm on the horizon. Might be some rough seas tonight.”

As he walks away, Cassian’s expression clears. He’s been waiting for a storm. 

* * *

Cassian cuts his bonds and grins, stretching unused muscle. The wind has picked up to a scream, the ship rocking side to side with each swell of wave. He can hear some of the other prisoners retching, the scent of sick mingling with salt and sea. It’s off-putting to say the least.

What’s more off-putting is the sound of an actual scream coming from the deck of the ship. Cassian sets to work with the dagger, attempting to pick the lock holding the door closed. It’s not the right tool for the job, clumsy and too wide by half, but he doesn’t know if Kay will have the opportunity to get down to him with a key. In a storm like this, Cassian wouldn’t want anyone else at the helm, nevermind that Kay only has one useful hand.

Somehow, Krennic isn’t as smart, because Kay appears not five minutes later, half falling down the stairs along with a rush of water. His hair is plastered to his head, rucked up on one side where he’s run a hand through it.

Cassian grins, briefly, the smile falling away when he sees the look on Kay’s face. “Rough night?”

Kay opens his mouth, stops, closes it again, and huffs at Cassian. “How have I survived without your special brand of humor.”

The lock clicks open, the door swinging wide with a squeal. “Since I didn’t think you’d survived at all, that’s a very good question. One for another time, I’m afraid. Are you going to argue when I tell you to release the rest of the prisoners?”

Kay grumbles under his breath, but sets to work regardless, announcing sardonically, “Remember who spoke for your freedom, if you find yourself at a crossroad tonight.”

It will have to be enough. 

* * *

Together, they climb up to the deck. The scent of panic hangs in the air, the sky weeping with rage. What's left of the crew are trembling, eyes darting around to find something hiding in the shadows. The sound of someone - some _thing -_ chanting seems to weave through the crackle of thunder. Whatever is out there, it's not luring them out; this is it's war cry.

Up at the helm, Krennic is screaming at them, “Find him, you fools! He bleeds just like the rest of us.”

He sneers when he notices Cassian and Kay.

“Ah, a traitor in our midst, I see.”

Kay barely spares him a glance.

“My loyalty never wavered. You were simply a means to an end.”

“And how has he repaid your loyalty? By shacking up with the first waterborne nymph he finds? It's a shame that you were never more than a plaything for your great Captain.”

Kay's voice is as smooth as glass. “Unlike some, my allegiance is not decided by my cock.”

Cassian grits his teeth, holding his sword in a sure grip, more men screaming in the background.

“Enough of this! Will you bore us to death, or fight like a man?”

The clash of steel on steel rings out, every flash of lightning illuminating their steps across the deck. From the corner of his eye, Cassian keeps watch for Bodhi, rewarded only with a glimpse of long black hair and the spray of red anew, quickly washed away by the rain.

Krennic is not an easy opponent though, drawing Cassian's attention back with renewed vigor. He is aware of the other fights taking place, of Kay’s sword flashing out, of sparks when he protects himself with his prosthetic limb. Some of the crew have apparently decided that their fate is better served at Kay's side instead of at the end of his blade.

The prisoners make their way up from below deck, most scattering toward life boats. Cassian wishes them luck, for what it's worth. He sees one of the female prisoners, hair bound up in a queue and grimace of distaste caught on her lips. She catches up a blade, slashing out at a man poised to stab Kay in the back. An act of mercy repaid in kind.

The tides seem tipped in their favor, though he won't be satisfied until he sees Krennic dead. Krennic’s opinion of him seems much the same. He's not pulling his strikes or attempting to disarm Cassian; he means to kill.

Some quick footwork gains him an advantage, forcing Krennic backward with unrelenting blows. A bit of coiled rope left abandoned finishes the thought, as Krennic trips and falls out of sight.

Cassian takes a breath, expecting only a moment before the fight continues. Instead, there's a choked off shout, then a clatter as Krennic’s sword is tossed into the light.

Cassian's heart stops as Bodhi steps out of the shadows. His skin looks pale and strange, his eyes alien, reflecting nothing. For a moment, Cassian can only think about falling, finding the end of all that darkness. Then Kay is at his back, hand fisted in Cassian's shirt. He's barely aware that the wind has calmed, enough that he can hear Kay, without him having to shout.

“Oh, you are a fool, Captain.”

It's the truth, but Cassian knows that there is brightness in Bodhi as well, laughter and joy and life. For every moonlit storm there can also be sun warmed brown limbs wrapped around him and cats wending around their ankles, tea and sweet kisses and salt in the air. Life and death together.

Gods help him, he wants it all.

Cassian steps forward, hands held out in front of him, placating. His heart is pounding, so loud he can hear the rush of his own blood in his ears. Bodhi's head tilts to the side, wide eyes black and endless. Blood drips from the corners of his mouth, a slick of red coating his chin and down his throat. His eyes flicker between Cassian and Kay, standing behind him, sword drawn.

“Bodhi.”

His eyes snap back to Cassian and he reaches out to trace a fingertip down Cassian's palm. It leaves a line of blood behind and sends a shiver down Cassian's spine.

“Bodhi, it's me.”

Then Bodhi's pressed up against him, smearing his face against Cassian's neck. _‘Like one of the fucking cats, no wonder they love you.’_

His body feels cold, except for his mouth, all his heat stolen by the ocean. Cassian wants nothing so much as he wants to fix that, to draw Bodhi back from the sea to his humanity. This is who his lover is, though, death on a storm-tossed night, red streaming from the ends of his hair to stain Cassian's shirt.

A sane man would run.

Cassian feels the sharp edge of teeth against his throat, pulse pounding with adrenaline. Bodhi could kill him, could take his blood before Kay could even move.

He won't. Cassian knows this in his soul.

Bodhi's tongue darts out, tasting his skin through the quickly drying blood.

“Captain, that seems inadvisable.”

Kay sounds as panicked as Cassian's ever heard him. Of course in Kay's case this means a barely detectable shift in the octave of his voice, his words tight and precise. It isn't likely that anyone but Cassian would be able to tell the difference. Bodhi growls, low in his throat, the sound rattling through Cassian until his ribs ache. His hips grind against Cassian's thigh, an unsubtle claim.

Cassian brings his arms around Bodhi's back, running them up along the length of his spine and tangling them in Bodhi's hair. He glances at Kay, twitching his head ‘no’ at the still raised sword.

“You've found me, love. It's all right.”

Bodhi relaxes in slow measures, his hands sliding over every inch of Cassian's skin he can reach. Cassian's cock stirs at the attention; above all else his body knows the comfort that can be found under Bodhi's sure hands.

Eventually, Bodhi pulls away. Something more human has returned to his eyes, his skin still otherworldly in the moonlight, but no longer cold to the touch at least.

Kay sheaths his sword. “The ship appears to be yours, Captain. I await your orders.”

“Clear the deck of this refuse, Kay. And set a course for the nearest port. I'm sure we'll need supplies.”

Cassian pulls back, cradling Bodhi's face in his hands.

“How do you feel about becoming a pirate, my love?”

Bodhi smiles with eerily sharp teeth. “I'll follow you to hell and back, if needs must.”

Cassian leans their foreheads together, then captures Bodhi's lip between his teeth, licking the taste of blood from his mouth.

 

 

**Epilogue**

Bodhi can’t get his heart to stop racing. His brain is still stuck, halfway between the sea and his love, despite the man laid out before him. Cassian is an offering, pliant under Bodhi’s hands, warm skin and gentle touches in response to all of Bodhi’s sharp edges.

He regrets none of what happened on the deck of the ship, but he still doesn’t understand how Cassian can trust him now. He must have been a better man in another life, to deserve such forgiveness.

Cassian moans, arching his back and bringing Bodhi’s thoughts back to the moment. The warmth of him is soaking into Bodhi’s skin. He wants to lay out atop him like a lizard in the sun, but he’ll settle for sinking slicked fingers inside, easing the way for a more intimate connection. He pulls his fingers free, wiping them with undisguised glee on the tattered remains of Krennic’s sheets. He intends to destroy every trace of the man, burn him out of existence.

Bodhi urges Cassian onto his knees impatiently, sliding his hands up the back of his thighs and around to flirt over his hipbones. Cassian’s response is to grasp at Bodhi’s hand, drawing it up to his mouth to press a kiss to his knuckles.

“Be kind, love.”

There’s still vengeance singing in his blood, but for Cassian he can be tamed.

Bodhi leans forward, touching his mouth to Cassian’s shoulder blade and curling around Cassian’s back.

“I - I will not harm you, Cassian.”

Cassian’s voice is quiet, but sure.

“I know.”

After that, it's like coming home, sinking into the heat of Cassian's body, pulse ratcheting up with every thrust. He savors every hitched breath, every moan, the sound of the ocean in his ears and Cassian's voice calling him, ‘my love, my treasure.’

His heart is full and so possessive, what some would call a monster growling inside, ancient words spilling from his lips.

“I claim you, my love, with blood and bone. I claim you for the seas and sky, until the horizon ends. I offer my protection and my heart in exchange. I lay my life at your feet.”

Cassian cries out, twisting to look over his shoulder and dragging Bodhi's mouth to his own. He gasps against Bodhi's lips, reaching down to wrap his hand around his cock.

“You have me, until I take my last breath. Beyond that even, if the gods will it so.”

Someday, Bodhi will teach him the words, will bind their souls truly, for now and forever. Until then, he will carry this moment, to tame the monster.

He spills inside Cassian, sets blunted teeth at the join of neck and shoulder, his hand covering Cassian's to push him over into bliss.

The moonlight slips through the window, sated with blood and seed. For now.


End file.
